My definition of an “Apple fanboy” is one who blindly and proudly consumes Apple products, blogs, keynotes, etc…, in an obsessive manner. The word blindly is insulting, not the word “fanboy.”

Apple customers, in general, are a fussy bunch. They are obsessive about high quality products with great experiences. They are also critical about devices which don’t live up to their expectations. These are not “blind followers.”

The fact that Apple generally creates amazing user experiences, doesn’t mean we are blind to bad products. We may be members of the Apple cult, but we aren’t ignorant.

I consider myself a loyal Apple customer – even after terrible customer service experiences. I’ve invested in a profusion of their products. I also hate the Mighty Mouse, the new iPod shuffle, and the fact that you can’t register an iPad without another computer.

This “fan” is not a “fanboy.”

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Back in 2001, while a music major in college, I started doing some freelance work on the web. Pauline, an independent jeweler in the Los Angeles area, became my first client. Not only was she my first client, but she stayed with me for 9 more years until her passing last week.

Pauline taught me many life lessons:

• How to pick a good business partner;
• How to always be professional;
• Ethics matter more than money;
• Separate business life from personal life;

… and my favorite …

• How to find beautiful women to pose for photographs. (For her jewelry catalog, of course…)

Pauline is the reason that we developed Sandstone, the software framework that now powers all of our business. Our ecommerce product Simpli5 was born out of an ecommerce website we built for her years before. The tools that built Pauline’s website also built our little business.

Business aside, I had many memorable conversations with her on the phone after work. When my wife and I were married almost 3 years ago, we had Pauline design and create her wedding ring. Each time we look at the ring, we will remember the love and care that she spent creating it for us.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Pauline in person. It’s amazing to think that this woman, whom I’ve never met face-to-face, could have such an impact on the life of a young guy in Ohio.

Thank you Pauline. Memory Eternal.

[obituary]

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With the new year upon us, it’s that time to make our resolutions. But, why do we wait to do this at the beginning of the year? If change is needed, make the change now.

I came to realize the problem with this a month ago (beginning of December). I’m a typical geek. I sit in front of my desk for about 12 hours a day, and most of my exercise comes from walking to the restroom down the hall. Needless to say, I’m not a perfect specimen of health. I’m not fat by any stretch, but I’m not in shape and I could eat healthier. So, like many I decided to do something about it this year and make “focusing on my health” my resolution for 2010.

Except for one small problem. I needed change NOW, not starting in a month. Waiting a month to start to change would make my problem worse. Suffice to say, I joined the gym that day and today (Jan 1), I’m already feeling much better.

What change do you need in your life?

• Do you need to blog once a week?
• Do you need to stop checking email every 5 minutes?
• Do you need to treat your wife and family better?
• Do you need to eat out less and cook more?

Do it now, and start reaping the benefits now.

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